18 Year Old Father & Fiance

August 17th, 2012, 03:40 AM

I am 18 and have a 4 month old son. I am interested in joining the Guard for the benefits and the pay. I am not worried about losing my fiance. We are in a serious relationship and we are both very devoted to our son. I work a full-time Shift-Manager job at a quick-service restaurant and a part-time job as a Sub-Janitor for my local school district while my fiance is a stay-at-home mom. I am a very hard worker and want only to provide for my family. My main concern about joining the Guard is ensuring that I get paid more doing this than working my 2 current jobs. I make $9.50/hour, 40 hours/week at one job and make $8.25/hour, 10-25 hours/week at my other job. As much as I want to join for the benefits and experience, my family comes first. Will I be making more than I do now right off the bat? I KNOW I will rank up in the Guard. I am a very hard worker and my son is my main inspiration. I have to make sure I will have the money I need to get by while being gone and enough money to keep my family supported while away. My other concern is location. I want to stay in the U.S. and would really like my son and fiance to come with me when the basic training is over. I ask these questions because no one has explained anything about the National Guard to me and don't know how the financial factor works. Please keep in mind that I only have a High School diploma.

I am 18 and have a 4 month old son. I am interested in joining the Guard for the benefits and the pay. I am not worried about losing my fiance. We are in a serious relationship and we are both very devoted to our son.

I almost lost my **** when I read red. Then I saw the rest.

You won't get paid more in the Guard than what you get now. The National Guard and Reserves are for people who can afford to sacrifice their time to make a little more money. I do know people who LOSE money coming to drill. I knew people who lost money while deployed!

The Guard is a part-time job, although it's a good supplement to your civilian job. While the money may not seem compelling at first, the Guard becomes more important to you as time progresses if you leverage it right. You can draw education benefits to enable you to get a better civilian job, the Guard can enhance your civilian resume, you can meet others in the Guard who have influence and insight at other companies -- you see how the Guard can provide more than just $150/month. In addition, you can get health insurance for your family through the Guard at subsidized rates.

I respect a young man who sacrifices for his children. The fact that you can spell, use punctuation, and write a coherent paragraph further sets you apart from the average HS grad. I wish you well.